Take that, "the man"
The day is Tuesday, October 3rd. The location is Helena, MT. The time is 9:30. Bob and I set out expecting to arrive at Banff by 6:00pm. 250 miles later we hit the duty free and bought a case of Moosehead for $14. What a steal!! What a high point! Oh man!!!
Pulled over at the Canadian side because of my car with Michigan plates. As it turns out, since I'm a dual-citizen, they won't recognize that I'm only going into Canada temporarily. To them, I'm resuming residency and they want money for the car. Ok....
Into Canadian customs. "You haven't exported this car from the US yet! Get back there". So we turn around and go to American customs...and this is where the story really starts to get good.
The American official informed me that he needed a note from the bank I'm financing my car through before he could export the car. He also informed me that, though this process usually took 72 hours, they made exceptions for people who don't know and he would be happy to do it immediately. (ZOMG! What a nice chap!) However, since I didn't have the paperwork from the bank, he couldn't do it now, and, were i to come back with the paperwork I would be considered as somebody who knew that I needed to export my vehicle and, alas, would no longer be eligible for the waving of the 72-hour rule. WHAT A DEAL!!!
So I attempted to phone the bank on the property and see if we could work something out. GASP! My account is 2days overdue and the cannot do anything. Man oh man...So, despite a check being in the mail (FOR REAL!), I had another payment phoned in immediately. Wouldn't you believe it, it won't post until tomorrow. So, we got 1 day to hang out. At least they said they would be able to fax the letter directly to customs tomorrow and we could get through that way.
A little later, I get a call from said bank telling me that they screwed up, that they can't fax the letter because there aren't 6months of payments on the car.
"Ok, I'll wire you 4 more".
"I'm sorry, we can only accept 1 payment every 24 hours"
"Ok, tomorrow I'll wire you 4 payments"
"I'm sorry, we can only accept 2 payments at a time"
"Ok, I'll punch you in the face"
Eventually they wired me a 30-day permit with the stipulation that I acquire a long-term one within 30 days (ie, make 4 more payments).
So let me sum up: 24 hours to get the letter + 48 hours to make the payments + 72 hours to export the car. WOW! We win a week's vacation in Sleby, MT! Home of....nothing. A brilliant sulfur smell, perhaps.
Before I move on to the 2nd half of the story, I will sum up the conclusion of this half and say that it looks like we'll be able to make it across the border tomorrow. A lot of nice people. Cool..
In any case, we drove back to the town of Shelby (35 miles backwards), and began checking into a hotel, However, they had no non-smoking rooms, so Bob made reservations at a new place (I was too busy "discussing" things with the bank). We drove to this new place, confirmed that they had internet (as long as we're going to be here for so long, internet is a must) and got ot our room.
Next, we brought the computers in. Bob has a laptop...I don't. My monitor is the size of a Volkswagen Beatle and ways just about as much. Also, it, like the other parts of my computer, were packed right in the CENTER of my car. My car, as many of you know, could not have had more in it. SO we unpacked and repacked the entire car, brought the computer into the room, put our beer on ice, ordered a pizza, and finally sat down to just relax and the internet doesn't work.
Naturally.
So we asked the front desk and the answer was "oh the internet hasn't worked for a few days now"......
....
....
Did I mention that we double-checked whether or not there was internet before checking in?
So we put everything back in the car, picked up our pizza, and drove back to the original hotel who now, magically, had a non-smoking room. We checked in (at nearly twice the cost) and were promptly informed of 2 things:
#1 - You're on the 3rd floor (of 3)
#2 - The elevator doesn't work.
So now, 5 hours after the time we arrived at the border, we're sitting down to relax and enjoy our pizza and beer and internet.
The good part of the day? We scammed that duty free out of a $14 case of beer, and are set up to buy another tomorrow. Take that, "the man".
Pulled over at the Canadian side because of my car with Michigan plates. As it turns out, since I'm a dual-citizen, they won't recognize that I'm only going into Canada temporarily. To them, I'm resuming residency and they want money for the car. Ok....
Into Canadian customs. "You haven't exported this car from the US yet! Get back there". So we turn around and go to American customs...and this is where the story really starts to get good.
The American official informed me that he needed a note from the bank I'm financing my car through before he could export the car. He also informed me that, though this process usually took 72 hours, they made exceptions for people who don't know and he would be happy to do it immediately. (ZOMG! What a nice chap!) However, since I didn't have the paperwork from the bank, he couldn't do it now, and, were i to come back with the paperwork I would be considered as somebody who knew that I needed to export my vehicle and, alas, would no longer be eligible for the waving of the 72-hour rule. WHAT A DEAL!!!
So I attempted to phone the bank on the property and see if we could work something out. GASP! My account is 2days overdue and the cannot do anything. Man oh man...So, despite a check being in the mail (FOR REAL!), I had another payment phoned in immediately. Wouldn't you believe it, it won't post until tomorrow. So, we got 1 day to hang out. At least they said they would be able to fax the letter directly to customs tomorrow and we could get through that way.
A little later, I get a call from said bank telling me that they screwed up, that they can't fax the letter because there aren't 6months of payments on the car.
"Ok, I'll wire you 4 more".
"I'm sorry, we can only accept 1 payment every 24 hours"
"Ok, tomorrow I'll wire you 4 payments"
"I'm sorry, we can only accept 2 payments at a time"
"Ok, I'll punch you in the face"
Eventually they wired me a 30-day permit with the stipulation that I acquire a long-term one within 30 days (ie, make 4 more payments).
So let me sum up: 24 hours to get the letter + 48 hours to make the payments + 72 hours to export the car. WOW! We win a week's vacation in Sleby, MT! Home of....nothing. A brilliant sulfur smell, perhaps.
Before I move on to the 2nd half of the story, I will sum up the conclusion of this half and say that it looks like we'll be able to make it across the border tomorrow. A lot of nice people. Cool..
In any case, we drove back to the town of Shelby (35 miles backwards), and began checking into a hotel, However, they had no non-smoking rooms, so Bob made reservations at a new place (I was too busy "discussing" things with the bank). We drove to this new place, confirmed that they had internet (as long as we're going to be here for so long, internet is a must) and got ot our room.
Next, we brought the computers in. Bob has a laptop...I don't. My monitor is the size of a Volkswagen Beatle and ways just about as much. Also, it, like the other parts of my computer, were packed right in the CENTER of my car. My car, as many of you know, could not have had more in it. SO we unpacked and repacked the entire car, brought the computer into the room, put our beer on ice, ordered a pizza, and finally sat down to just relax and the internet doesn't work.
Naturally.
So we asked the front desk and the answer was "oh the internet hasn't worked for a few days now"......
....
....
Did I mention that we double-checked whether or not there was internet before checking in?
So we put everything back in the car, picked up our pizza, and drove back to the original hotel who now, magically, had a non-smoking room. We checked in (at nearly twice the cost) and were promptly informed of 2 things:
#1 - You're on the 3rd floor (of 3)
#2 - The elevator doesn't work.
So now, 5 hours after the time we arrived at the border, we're sitting down to relax and enjoy our pizza and beer and internet.
The good part of the day? We scammed that duty free out of a $14 case of beer, and are set up to buy another tomorrow. Take that, "the man".
posted by Anonymous at 3:48 PM
7 Comments:
w.... o....w. (not the game, the expression of amazement)
ZOMG...
The man owes you that case of beer. And a free shot at his nuts.
but... but... you're so close!
that's craptacular. i agree with greg. and scrubs: kick 'em in the junk and run.
I'm glad I'm not the only being kept out of countries
that is to say that I sypmathise
Oh MAN, that's infuriating. And expensive!
but...how were you able to come into Canada before this with no problem?? Joe
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